Uranus at Opposition

Planetary Oppositions in 2022

August 14 – Saturn at Opposition. The ringed planet will be at its closest approach to Earth and its face will be fully illuminated by the Sun. It will be brighter than any other time of the year…


Messier 74 Phantom Galaxy

Messier 74 Phantom Galaxy

Messier 74, nicknamed the Phantom Galaxy, is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the constellation Pisces. Messier 74 is a perfect example of a grand design spiral galaxy. It has two clearly defined spiral…


Southern Hemisphere

Famous Naked Eye Southern Hemisphere Objects

For those visiting the Southern Hemisphere, what would be some of the most famous objects to look to see? When would be the best time to see them and what makes them so famous? Well…


Messier 73

Messier 73

Messier 73 is an asterism formed by four physically unrelated stars located in the southern constellation Aquarius. The four stars that form the Y-shaped asterism only appear close to each other in the sky because…


constellation constellations largest constellations

Southern Circumpolar Constellations

The circumpolar southern constellations are Carina, Centaurus, and Crux. They can be found circling the south celestial pole and can be seen from southern latitudes at any time of year while remaining invisible for observers in most northern locations….



M27 Nebula Nebulae

Top 5 Most Famous Planetary Nebulae To View

When looking in the sky, there are several easy and well known planetary nebulae (plural of nebula) that are visible from the Pacific Northwest and other Northern Hemisphere observing locations. A planetary nebulae galaxy is…


Messier 72

Messier 72

Messier 72 is a globular star cluster located in the constellation Aquarius, the Water Bearer. Pierre Méchain, a French astronomer and colleague of Charles Messier, discovered the globular cluster M72 in 1780. It was the first of…


M45 Pleides cluster

Top 5 Easiest Open Clusters To View

When looking in the sky, there are several easy and well known open cluster objects that are visible from the Pacific Northwest and other Northern Hemisphere observing locations. An open cluster is a type of star…